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Fauna
Fauna | Fauna of Bia這wie瘸 Forest |
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Work with book „Bia這wie瘸 National Park. Know it – Understand it – Protect it” Publisher: Bia這wieski Park Narodowy, 2009
The value and unique nature of the forest results not from the number, but the from value of the animal species. There are not many species originating from the environment influenced by the human being, but there is a large number of species specific for the natural forest environment. Another characteristic feature is that species are not densely populated, but very diversed within one area. Until the 31st of December 2000, in Bia這wie瘸 Primaeval Forest 11559 animal species were identified, among which the following systematic groups can be found:
Vertebrates, although well recognized and well visible, constitute only few percent of the animal species identified in Bia這wie瘸 Forest. The more we know about invertebrates and the more new species we identify in the Forest area, the less will be the participation of vertebrates in the forest fauna, as the lists of identified vertebrates are closed, and all you can count on is the appearance of a new species in the forest fauna.
Amphibians constitute a little bit bigger group - animals quite common, but having a tendency of their population to decrease and of their species to extinct. European fire-bellied toad is the best example of that process in Bia這wie瘸 Forest. In the past, the species was quite common, even on the glades located inside the forest complex, but in the end of 90-ties, the species could be found in only few stands located at the Forest edge.
Mammals are one of the best recognized groups of animals in Bia這wie瘸 Forest. In accordance with the historical sources we found that there are mammal species, which are not only extinct in the Forest, but also worldwide. These species are : tarpan and aurochs (unfortunately so far there has been no 100% proof confirming that these species used to live here). Furthermore, there are species which natural habitat shrank and currently does not cover the Forest, namely : European mink and wildcat (information concerning the presence of wolverine and sable within this area in the past is not reliable enough). "The space used to be occupied by the aforementioned spieces" was filled, with the human help, with other spieces: racoon dog, American mink, musk-rat, wood mouse, house mouse, common vole. Present mammal fauna is represented in the Forest by 58 species, representatives of 6 orders : insectivorous (mole, hedgehog, shrews and Eurasian water shrew), bats, predatory ( wolf, lynx, fox, raccoon dog, badger, otter and other mustelidae-weasel family), even-toed ungulate (bison, elk, deer, roe deer and wild boar), rodents (squirrels, mouses, voles and dormouse) and lagomorpha (european hare and snowy hare). Birds are the group of vertebrates having the greatest population in Bialowie瘸 Forest. Within the area of the forest, with its edges inclusive, the presence of 250 species of birds was identified (240 in the Polish part and 229 in the Belarussian part). Approximately 2/3 of the bird species (177) are the breeding species. In comparison with other national and European forest areas, Bia這wie瘸 Forest is generously filled with various species. The great bird species diversification is represented by : daily predatory birds (15 species), owls (8 species), woodpeckers (8 breeding species + 1 migratin species) and sylviidae birds (23 species).
Among the species, which lately appeared in the forest, the following are worth mentioning : common redstart, European serin and common rosefinch. Unfortunately some of the forest former breeding species vanished : the greater spotted eagle, peregrine falcon, short-eared owl, crested lark. The condition of bird fauna in Bia這wie瘸 Forest is usually rated very high : with relatively small number of foreign species, not connected with the forest environment, and with a relatively small number of domestic species being extinct. |
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